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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. shower — to wash
  3. hand — in cards
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. root — the cause
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mug — a cup
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. hand — help
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mug — a face
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. root — of a plant
  18. shower — rain
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. root — of a word
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com